Author Stacey Rourke

Monday, December 16, 2013

The holidays are upon us. Bringing with it the time of year that it is deemed acceptable to sit on the lap of a jolly looking stranger in a fuzzy red and white suit and ask them for assorted goodies. (Yet, we teach our children about stranger danger. The irony of this is not lost on me.) In my case my list is short, but is made up of one high-ticket item; a new laptop computer. I have made this one last as long as I could, using electrical tape to save its tattered cord and even buying it a special pedestal stand just to accommodate its growing list of ailments. Sadly, it hasn't helped. If it gets too hot, it shuts off. If I plug anything in to its ports, it shuts off. If it thinks I'm not actively using it, it shuts off. If it thinks I'm working it too hard, it shuts off. This laptop has become the computer version of a cranky old man that sits on his front porch, yelling at the neighbor kids to stay off his lawn in between his power naps. It is time for him to retire to Boca and let an energetic replacement step in. So, Santa, please--oh, please--put a lap top in your satchel just for me!

What about you? What's on your wish list? If it's book related, I have the giveaway for you! I have joined with Gliterary Girl Media as part of an amazing Blog Tour giveaway! Every stop along the tour offers another exciting prize to win AND the GGM crew has compiled a huge grand prize that is NOT to be missed!!

Make sure you take the time to stop by all the blog stops to enter as well as at GGM for the grand prize which includes:

Friday, December 13, 2013

A couple of years ago I had the opportunity to meet LM Preston in person. She's an incredibly talented author, not to mention exceedingly knowledgeable about all elements of the indie world. Therefore I was prepared to be intimidated by her. I got over that after about ten seconds. LM is a sweet, funny person with an infectious laugh and a Disney obsession that matches my own. That, combined with her amazing work, have me squealing with fan girl glee to spotlight her today and introduce you to your next favorite writer! Without further ado, let's meet LM Preston!

LM, thank you so much for taking the time to be here today! Do you have anything you would like to
say to your readers?

Yeah, my
character’s have issues, and if you to have them, you have to remember that you
own your feelings, your destiny, your dreams, and you can do anything. Even
when people, circumstances are built up around you that say you can’t. How do I
know that’s true, well because I have overcome many obstacles and no one,
nothing, can take away my smile and the strength I’ve gained through the school
of hard knocks. So I hope you enjoy my characters, because each one of them
hold a strength I found in each and every young person I’ve known.

Can you tell us a little bit about
your book Purgatory Reign?

Purgatory Reign is an action packed, paranormal, romance with a
splash of adventure, that takes the reader through several cities, into secret
hidden sanctuaries while on the run with Peter Saints, our seventeen year old
hero and his friends.

Which came first for you, the
characters or the plot?

The
characters always come first for me. I build their profiles, find pictures of
people that look like them, and then their story hits me. I build the outline
for the book only after I’ve build the character profiles.

Can we expect more novels from you in
2013?

Wastelands is my current work in progress, I worked on it for nanowrimo and
am in the editing stages. It’s the second book in the Bandits series and should
be coming out Spring, 2014. Also, I’m finishing up 1st draft of Deviant Storm, book 2 in my Purgatory
Reign series that will be coming out in Oct, 2014.

Your life is a romantic comedy; what
humors but very embarrassing thing happens on your first date/when you meet the
love of your life?

I took
my ‘aunt’ along to meet my now husband when we were just 15yrs old at the bus
stop. My friend had set us up on a blind date. My aunt and I were both the same
age and she had explicate directions to scope out the bus and decide if we
should ditch him if guy was a dud.

Now, the moment of truth – I laid eyes on him and was like, “WOWSA!” I
literally had to gulp my heart back in my chest.

He looked at me and smiled (I believe he was thinking the same thing – but I
was wrong.)

I stood there and grinned like a fool, then tripped forward as my cousin
elbowed me. Oh…forgot she was still there. I whispered to her, “Beat it!” and
she promptly left.

Then I looked back at him and he was frowning…yep, frowning. The first thing he
said to me was, “Ummm, you don’t look like what I thought. Are you sure you’re
15? I mean…you are really small. How tall are you?”

Okay, yeah, I’m only about 5ft to his 6ft 2inches, but I was fun-sized!

What is your favorite part of writing?

The escape of
becoming another person, being in another place, and believing that I can
control the outcome, but most writers know that the characters seem to control
the story.

When do you prefer to read?

I read mostly
at night before I go to bed, or in the car while my husband is driving.

Vampires or Werewolves? Vampires all the way. I’ve been a vampire
lover since I was twelve years old and trust me, that was a long time ago.

Ebook or hardcover/paperback? Well, if you would’ve asked me this
question about five years ago I would be paperback all the way. But now, I have
way more ebooks than I do paperback and I’ve read mostly all of them that are
on my ereader or cellphone.

Favorite color? Green, and believe it or not, that’s
been my favorite color for as long as I can remember.

Wednesday, November 27, 2013

Within the last couple of months I was fortunate enough to become a member of the YA Storytellers Society. Well, as Thanksgiving draws near these amazing authors and I are putting some of their books on sales as our way of saying thank you to all our readers! Go to http://yastorytellers.com/ to check out all the deals, but here are a couple books I can recommend:

The Brown House, by Christy Sloat is a fantastic read about a REAL house in New Jersey that is proven to be haunted. While the tale weaved between the covers is fiction it is made all the more hair raising knowing the proof that lies beneath it! This book is now only $.99! Grab it up while you can!

There is a very good reason why Quinn Loftis is loved by readers everywhere and now you can find out for yourself! Prince of Wolves is FREE to download! Do not miss this one, gang!

Have a wonderful Thanksgiving, if you venture out to Black Friday sales don't elbow any little old ladies, and HAPPY READING!

Monday, November 4, 2013

Get the Countdown Creator Pro widget and many other great free widgets at Widgetbox! Not seeing a widget? (More info)
From best selling and award winning author Stacey Rourke comes the heart-pounding continuation of the acclaimed Gryphon Series.
The turning point of the Gryphon saga is at hand …
Battle looms. Three unstoppable forces prepare to clash in a colossal explosion that could wipe Gainesboro off the map. Fate and a sacred calling have landed nineteen year old Celeste Garrett in the middle with nowhere to run.
Her trust wavers as she uncovers dark secrets of the Council, powerful enough to test her loyalty and turn her against those she swore to protect. Playing to the longing of her heart, a malevolent enemy uses her weakness against her to form an alliance.
With the trumpets of war about to sound, which side will the Conduit choose, and who will be left standing?

belong to thisfirm and its imperative for all book lovers
to meet them.

So many delightful books are
published monthly from Anchor Group.

You will meet a few now.

Anchor Group has decided to do
an annual Halloween event and giveaway for all the fans.

Not only are the authors hosting
giveaways but they have also included snippets from their books.

They were asked to include the
spookiest parts of their books so that the Halloween theme will spread from
blog to blog.

Without further ado, here they
are.

Enjoy!

Author Emily Fogle

Chasing Flames

Spooky Teaser:

A sudden flood of
panic froze me where I stood. I could only stand there, gaping in shock at the
horrifying beast. Its shadow blotted out the waning light and blocked the view
of the outside world. I stared at it with my mouth hanging open. The tip of my tongue
held onto my scream, too terrified to let it go.

A hideous face of matted
fur and gnarled teeth glared at me. Its eyes glowed blood red, and a monstrous
paw with jagged dagger-claws reached out toward me. The tip of one nail snagged
on my shirt and I could feel the horrendous power beneath its grip. I tried to
run, but my fumbling feet got tangled together. Hard, I fell on the wood floor.
I kicked my legs, trying to get away from the beast, but it closed the distance
before I could back up an inch. It crouched down in front of me, kneeling on
all fours, and I could see its ripping teeth.

It was so close.

With one twisted claw, the monster ripped at his face with tearing nails. The
fur-riddled flesh tore away from the wolf’s face, but the slashing fingers did
not shred the skin. Instead, it melted away into a solid hunk of deformed fur.
What was left in the wake of the gruesome carnage was ...

Find Emily on FB https://www.facebook.com/AuthorEmilyFogle
and attend her Release Event for Chasing Flames:

https://www.facebook.com/AuthorEmilyFogle#!/events/580657295384732/

Author Karen Swart

Kasayda Hellhound
Awakened

Spooky Teaser

I could hear a girl’s giggle as he stepped out
silently. I followed the silent approach he was doing, and closed the door
slowly. Turning around, I could see the couple in the corner of the alley; the
girl was between the wall and the guy.

Chax moved along the wall, keeping his eyes on them,
one slow step at a time. I looked at him and decided that this is as far as I
go. I don’t want to be in
the middle of whatever he has in mind. The girl suddenly screamed, and I looked
away from Chax to them. The ally was dark, so I couldn’t make out what’s going on. She was hitting
him on the back but he wasn’t backing off. The next thing I knew, Chax punched the
guy in his side, a growl like a beast escaping into the alley.

Holy crap, it’s not a guy, it’s a freaking demon!

I took a few steps back. So not ready for this yet.

The demon turned around and faced Chax, who already
had his swords drawn; he stood there ready and waiting. The guy’s face changed then, into what
can only be described as a cross between a cat and a dragon. He had two large
fangs sticking out of his mouth and from his chin downwards, I could see what
looked like dark liquid running down, crap it was blood!

I stopped dead, not wanting to attract attention to
me. The demon stormed forward attacking Chax, who only stepped aside, made two
swipes with his sword and then walked over to the girl. I looked at the demon
to see why the hell Chax is just leaving it and not killing it, only to see its
head missing, and the body slumping to the ground.

Something hit my boot so I looked down straight into a
pair of eyes, I jumped away from it. “Oh that’s so gross,” I
complained and slammed into the opposite wall, keeping my eyes on the head.

Find Karen on FB:https://www.facebook.com/authorkarenswart

Author Lucian
Barnes

City of The Dead

Spooky Excerpt

Find Lucian on FB

https://www.facebook.com/lucianbarnesauthor

Confusion swirled through his
consciousness. The last thing he remembered was being lashed to a tree as the
main course for an army of bugs. Had they detoured around him and gone after an
alternate food source? He didn't think so, but why else would he still be here?

Just
thinking about it made him itch, like the massive column of insects was
crawling over his skin at this very moment. Realizing he could move now, George
reached with one hand for his other arm to dig his fingernails into his flesh
and peel it from his bones if he had to in order to quell the maddening
sensation.

"No!"
he screamed into the still dusk air as he watched his fingertips pass right
through his arm. "This can't be!" Spinning around he came face to
face with what was left of his body. Most of his flesh was gone, but there were
still tiny fragments of tissue clinging to the skeletal frame which was bound
tightly to the enormous oak. Tilting his head toward the sky George bellowed
out in rage, vowing to pay the Black Knight back for what he had done to him.
It was now just a matter of how and when he would exact his revenge upon his
former master.

Author Elizabeth
Kirke

More Than Magic
Series

Spooky Excerpt

It was dark, truly dark. I had thought that it was dark in the
desert, but I had been able to look up and see stars. The canopy of leaves
above us was so thick that I couldn't see a single star. I wasn't sure if I had
ever been somewhere with literally no light anywhere in sight. The fact that I
was moving made things even eerier.

"How well can you see in the dark?" I had to ask. TS
hadn't stumbled once, even though I could feel him hopping and stepping over
obstacles.

"Me?" TS asked. "Well enough."

We probably walked for another five minutes when TS stopped.

"You smell that?"

"Yeah," Thomas said. "Been hearing it, too."

"What?" I asked.

"We're being watched," Thomas whispered.

"Why do you come here?" an unfamiliar voice asked. I
nearly jumped out of my skin. Suddenly a horrible snarling hiss came from way,
way too close to me. TS tensed and growled.

Ephraim kissed me in an attempt to distract me, and for a moment it worked. I got lost in his arms as he held me
gently. The kiss deepened a bit more, and then I opened my eyes. That’s when
things went all wrong. I saw a misty cloud coming toward us. At first I thought
it had to be low lying fog, until I started to see the eyes forming in the
mist. I pulled myself away from Ephraim and he turned around to see what I was
seeing. There was no way he would be able to see it, because he didn’t see the
dead. But they say those who are close to death can see death. It’s completely
true because he saw them. At first he was frozen as they walked closer to us.
Then he got up and backed away, scared. He wasn’t used to seeing them like I
was. Scratch that! I was never going to get used to this, but I had to try if
this was my life now. I went toward the mist as the dead started to surround me,
locking me inside a circle of their bodies. Their eyes were glassy and their
faces veiny and gruesome. They didn’t look like their former selves, unless they were zombies in their life. A woman put her hand on my
arm. I froze as her clammy palm rested on my skin. It felt cold at first, and then wet.

“Who are you?” I asked with a shaky voice. She tried to talk, but her mouth was sewn shut. Her lips were moving so fast; she was
desperately trying to tell me something. Only murmuring came out.

“Brylee, get away from them,” Ephraim called.

I didn’t try to get away, like an idiot stayed there. A man, whose lips
were not sealed, came forward. “You surround yourself with the
dead?” he asked as he pointed to Ephraim.

“He isn’t dead. He is alive. Why are you here?” I snapped.

“He isn’t dead yet, but he will be soon.” I shivered at his words. The
woman pointed to a spot in the grass and led me to it. I was being shoved
toward a place I had no clue of what it was. Once I was on top of it, I saw
them … graves. The headstones bore the names of the dead that now surrounded
me.

Find Christy on FB

Author Amy Richie

Sapphire City

Spooky Excerpt

“There’s nothing to be afraid of,”
I whispered to myself. Just a mysterious light in the ocean. Probably happens
all the time.
I reached the dock and hesitated again. I would just have a quick look and then
leave. No big deal. I took a deep breath and walked all the way to the edge of
the dock.
“Stella.”
With my heart hammering fast enough to make me dizzy, I looked down into the
calm water. I didn’t really expect to see anything, but there it was … a small
circle of beautiful orange light. My breath caught.

As they fought with
the tangled branches and thick undergrowth it took them a while to reach their
friend. They could already see the blood pouring down his cheek, his pupils
blacker than the night. He stood motionless, caught in some sick game between
two creatures who were circling him in the small clearing. The creatures had no
need for weapons, their claw like hands were tipped with razor sharp talons,
each tip delivering a small dose of poison. One ran up to Bendrin, its thick
serpent tongue lashed out, licked the blood from his face and sighed in
ecstasy.

The boys had seen
enough and managed to angle a bow in the small space to hit one of the
creatures in the neck. It shrieked out and fell to the floor, seeing its
opportunity, the other dived on top of its fellow creature and started to
devour the flesh before it had even stopped struggling. Quickly, they reached
Bendrin and between them, began to drag him back through the trees. It was a
wasted effort, the cries from the dying creature had brought others and they
all wanted to play.

Find H.J on
her blog:
http://redribbonwrites.blogspot.co.uk/

Author Katherine Polillo

The Watchers Trilogy

Spooky Excerpt

I
shot down a side street, thinking it was probably no one, just my mind playing
tricks on me, but why not try to lose them anyway. As soon as I turned the
corner, I felt better. I let a sigh escape my lips as I tried to determine how
to get where I needed to go from my new location. Suddenly, the sound of
footsteps echoed through the dark alley and a distinct panting noise rose along
the quiet night. I lost all control and broke into a desperate run for the
opposite end of the alley, where I would again be shot off onto a street with
hopefully someone in screaming range, or at least a streetlight. I really
didn’t want to face my attacker in the dark. I could face the minions of Hell,
just not in the dark. I hit the end of the alley at a dead run and promptly
dove into a large hydrangea bush meant to mark the property line of someone’s
front yard. I clamped a hand over my mouth and attempted to slow my racing
heartbeat. Crouching down, I attempted to make myself as small as possible
while I waited to see who my assailant was.

I
didn’t have to wait long. From the alley emerged a large chocolate lab, its
owner not far behind. The dog’s leash grasped firmly in his hand as he jogged
out of the alley and made a left onto the main street. The adrenaline slowly
began to dissipate, leaving me feeling euphoric and foolish all at once. I sat
back on my backside, relief and chagrin mixing as a giggle escaped my lips. I
had surely brought paranoia to a new level. Standing, I started attempting to
free myself from my hiding spot, realizing the poor bush was never going to be
the same. I caught a reflection out of the corner of my eye and I froze in
place. It was as if the sun had glinted off something metallic, only there was
no sun … it was midnight. I stood, still half in the bush, waiting for the
reflection to happen again. I glanced around the seemingly empty street,
waiting, but it didn’t reoccur. Jerking my purse free of the branches that
entwined it, I hurried off for home. I couldn’t quite shake the feeling that I
was being watched .

Somewhere
between sleep and awake he came to me. The mattress shifted under his weight as
he settled in beside me. Warm breath teased against my ear. “I could ne’er
leave you, lovey.” His wandering hands gripped my waist and rolled me to face
him. This warbled land governed by sleep couldn’t conjure his whole essence—too
much time had passed for that. Instead it teased me with glimpses of what I’d
been missing; silky hair caressing my cheek. Hot kisses traveling down my neck.
Emerald eyes filled with an insatiable hunger. The sensual awakening that
jolted through me when his mouth found mine. “I’m always with you,” Caleb
whispered against my lips. I twined my arms around his neck and pulled him
closer—a move that garnered a low groan of appreciation. His hands roamed up my
arms and encircled my wrists. In a sudden, shockingly violent, move he forced
them down against the mattress and pinned me there. I gaped in confusion as
green eyes blinked to sapphire blue. His seductive stare twisted into visible
disgust and hatred. Like ink dumped from a bottle, the black drained from
Caleb’s hair. The dripping color leaked away to reveal long strawberry blond
hair ponytailed at the nape of his neck. Alec. But not the latest version of
him currently possessed by a three hundred year old demon. This was the Alec I
first met whilst rolling a tire. The carefree boy I had started to fall for
before fate intervened. Yet the look that darkened his gaze was more murderous
then welcoming. I thrashed and bucked beneath him but couldn’t seem to summon
one iota of strength. His grip on my wrists tightened to the point of pain. “Is
he worth it?” He hissed in my face, “Is he worth the blood on your hands?”
Crimson red blood bubbled up Alec’s throat. It seeped between his teeth and
dribbled down his chin. “Will he still want you when he knows what you’ve done
and what it cost?” Squeezing my eyes shut, I cringed further into the mattress
as blood rained down. The warm stickiness, with its pungent rusty smell,
dripped on my face and soaked my shirt. I risked a glance up to see Alec’s lips
curl in an evil grin. “Now, how ‘bout a kiss?” He bowed his head and crammed
his blood soaked lips to mine. My muffled scream quickly turned into a gurgled
gasp for air as I fought not to drown in this crimson hell. -Excerpt from
Ascension, Gryphon Series Book 4 releasing in November

“Such anger,” she said with a ‘tsk’. “I can see that you
have much passion, Elf. I shall enjoy your company greatly before I kill you.
Perhaps watching your beloved die will take the wind out of your sails.”

Kai simply glared at her, his eyes cold, blue slits of rage.
His chest heaved with the force of his anger. Eranna shrugged and turned back
to Zara, approaching the stone slab again, her lips parted in a gruesome grin.
When she reached the altar, she plucked a lock of Zara’s hair from the ground
and inspected it with interest.

“Such beauty,” she murmured. “Such freshness and youth,
wasted on a mere human. I know of your father’s treachery, girl. He stole from Fallada what was rightfully
mine, and I intend to have it back.”

“Please,” Zara pleaded, hoping to appeal to the woman’s
sense of right and wrong—if she possessed any at all. “Why are you doing this?
What did I ever do to you?”

Eranna laughed. The sound was bitter and raw. “Do to me?
Why, nothing, child. You are my enemy simply by circumstance of your birth. You
are an abomination, an anomaly; you have no right to exist. What right do you
have to such power? You do not even know how to control it! You are weak, a
simpering little girl with no idea the kind of might she possesses within her
bones! And why should you possess it when I am so much more worthy? Why should
you experience the joys of a lover’s embrace and his child in your belly while
I …” she trailed off, her expression crestfallen as she turned her back on
Zara. For a moment, Zara thought she detected the glisten of tears in the
queen’s eyes. “It is no matter,” she continued, her voice gruff and choked. “I
will amass so much power unto myself, that no one will stand in the way of what
I want. I shall have it all; beauty, youth, power, eternal life.” She turned
back to Zara, her knife glistening in the candlelight. “And I shall begin by
taking from you what I so rightfully deserve.”

Zara could only stare, hypnotized by the madness in Eranna’s
eyes as she advanced on her knife raised. Through the roaring in her ears, she
faintly heard Kai’s roars of anger, his voice growing hoarse, soon smothered by
the rattling of his chains as he fought against them to no avail. The glint of
the knife caught her eye as Eranna lifted it high over her head.

Her smile was sad as she turned for one last look at the
love of her life. He’d ceased struggling and stared back at her with tears in
his eyes, silent sobs shaking him from the inside.

“Zara,” he whispered as he realized then that the fight was
over.

“I love you,” she whispered, closing her eyes as a swift
current of air warned her of the knife’s descent.

From Beyond the Iron
Gate: Zara’s Journey

A FREE read, and prequel novella to the Lost Kingdom of Fallada Series

Turning Pages voted Best Teen Fiction for Sacrifice

Full Moon Bites Reviewer Favorite for Sacrifice

Indie Reader Approved!

Followers

Bex n' Books

Willow Cross

2012 Author of the Year

2012 Best Laugh Out Loud Series

About Me

There is nothing worse than being put on the spot and asked to talk about yourself. For me it brings back that inevitable moment in a new school when the teacher would ask me to stand up, introduce myself and tell the class something about myself. I was always worried I would blurt out something stupid that I would get teased for. Something like, "My name's Stacey and I like pickles!" Then for the rest of the school year I'd be known as the Pickle Girl and let's be honest, no one wants that.
So to avoid such a faux pas I will simply say that I love to write. It allows me to get my crazy out just enough that I can function as a normal member of society.